Man... I really like that beat, but I don't know if I'm a fan of that sing-songy cadence. Slug paid his dues years ago so he can do whatever the fuck he wants, but I still can't help but feel like this is an appeal to the less refined mainstream ear. I'll still check the album out when it drops.

Edit: I wanted to add that Slug is as strong as ever lyrically, and remains one of the best storytellers hip hop has ever had.

Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:27 am

Sage FrancisSelf Fighteous

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21654

With the understanding that Mr. Daley lurks here from time to time, I would just like to use this all-but-dead forum to publicly announce that I am absolutely THRILLED to be releasing an album right around the same time as a new Atmosphere release. Again. hahaha. Fuck's sake. Welp, it's not like this year hasn't already thrown every other obstacle in my path. Hell...I almost like it.

Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:47 pm

jakethesnakeguy who cried about wrestling being real

Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 6311
Location: airstrip one

Atmosphere had other members besides Ant and Slug?????

Mind = Blown

Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:55 pm

sewer samuel

Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 220
Location: oakland ca.

jakethesnake wrote: Atmosphere had other members besides Ant and Slug?????

Mind = Blown

haha, well they were touring guys that added a lot (in my opinion) and i think they had a heavy hand in the family sign, i liked the direction they were heading with that album. it's hard to judge an album by the first single, but this sounds like a great start.

sage and atmos shoulda figured out some sort of double pre order deal, i would be down for that. and a tour together would blow everybodys balls off in the best way.

Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:44 pm

NeuroA champion of Kurtis SP

Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 7839

Captiv8 wrote: Man... I really like that beat, but I don't know if I'm a fan of that sing-songy cadence. Slug paid his dues years ago so he can do whatever the fuck he wants, but I still can't help but feel like this is an appeal to the less refined mainstream ear. I'll still check the album out when it drops.

Edit: I wanted to add that Slug is as strong as ever lyrically, and remains one of the best storytellers hip hop has ever had.

i get what you're saying though. i thought the same thing actually. im guessing a song like this most likely fits in and sounds better as part of the full album listen, i'll give it time

also let me say i am hyped to hear the new atmos AND sage album

Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:27 pm

T-Wrexp00ny tang

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 6409
Location: Detroit, Michigan

A funny thing happened yesterday morning.

Today is a huge doughnut eating holiday in Detroit.
And to keep up with production, we'll bring in a couple extra strangers to help.

One of the hired hands was an 18 year old kid.
He was thumbing thru his smartphone screens and got excited.

"One of my favorite underground rap groups released a new single!"

I asked him who it was.

"Oh... you've probably never heard of them. They're called Atmosphere."

And when I said I knew of them... he was genuinely surprised that a guy in his mid 30s knew of and listened to this cool "underground rap".

"Oh.. Have you heard of Brother Ali?.. Have you heard of Greives?.. Have you heard of Sage Francis?.. Have you heard of P.O.S.?.."

Ha. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes to everything kid.

Then I blew his mind when I told him about all the "underground rap" concerts I had been to in Detroit, Hamtramick, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Royal Oak, Pontiac and Ypsilanti in the early 2000s.

I'm sure if I told him that I've interacted with Slug on various websites and messageboards since he was in diapers, he wouldn't have believed me.

Tue Mar 04, 2014 3:40 am

NeuroA champion of Kurtis SP

Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 7839

it really is pretty dope and sorta rare to meet real life people that dig this stuff out in the real world land in some regular real world place, at least where i live anyways

Tue Mar 04, 2014 3:50 am

Captiv8

Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 8546
Location: Third Coast

Neuro wrote: it really is pretty dope and sorta rare to meet real life people that dig this stuff out in the real world land in some regular real world place, at least where i live anyways

On of the icebreaker things I do with my students revolves around discussing music. When I start discussing mine I'm floored that not one of them have ever heard of Sage, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, or El-P. Most of them listen to your standard radio-friendly stuff. I was actually impressed when a freshman told me his favorite artist was Nas.

Anyway, you're on point with this, neuro. It is rare to find someone that listens to independent hip hop. I know they're out there, but not in droves. It's almost like we need a forum to discuss these things.

Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:35 am

Brynjar

Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 1476
Location: Rivertown

Captiv8 wrote: Man... I really like that beat, but I don't know if I'm a fan of that sing-songy cadence. Slug paid his dues years ago so he can do whatever the fuck he wants, but I still can't help but feel like this is an appeal to the less refined mainstream ear. I'll still check the album out when it drops.

Edit: I wanted to add that Slug is as strong as ever lyrically, and remains one of the best storytellers hip hop has ever had.

This sums up my feelings 100%

Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:02 pm

anomalyLoserface

Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2622
Location: DFW, TX

What article did I miss about Nate and Erich leaving? Can someone post that link?

If that's true, I'm excited it's just Slug and Ant again. I liked the band in a LIVE setting, but I prefer Slug not to sing along to an acoustic guitar.

I'm sure the album will bang and I'll be buying both, but I'm more excited for the new Sage album

Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:02 am

Captiv8

Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 8546
Location: Third Coast

I don't remember seeing anything about Nate and Erick leaving either. I actually thought the song sounded like live instrumentation, which is maybe purposeful. And I was really starting the live sound of Atmosphere in general. I don't want to speculate too much, but I always wondered how Ant felt about taking a sort of backseat in favor of the live element.

Soundset 2013, the biggest hip hop event in Minnesota is right around the corner... And for the first time since its creation, we will not be attending. Nate and Erick will not be performing with Atmosphere now, this summer on their tour or anytime in the foreseen future. Nate Collis and Erick Anderson officially left Atmosphere in November 2012. We are both thankful for the times we had traveling, making music, and performing. We both felt underappreciated....not from the fans, but from our employers. And when that happens for an extended period of time, relationships become toxic and people need to move on. An official statement from “Atmosphere” was never issued, but I want people who are expecting the same live show we had before to know that any upcoming shows will be different, and not like the trend of the last 8 years. That being said, Nate and I continue to work on music both together and independently, and we wish Atmosphere the best in all of their future endeavors.

Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:27 pm

sewer samuel

Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 220
Location: oakland ca.

i thought they added a lot to the live show too.

most of the time when you see a really great band play a great show you leave thinking "man, they sounded perfectly like their record." but i always thought those two guys made atmosphere sound better than their records, especially on the older songs. however, i did see them over the summer (slug, ant and another dj) with slightly stoopid and they still put on a great show.